LAS VEGAS — Interestingly, one of the biggest news stories at CES isn't actually happening here. It's happening in San Francisco, where Steve Jobs will deliver the opening keynote this morning at 9:00 AM Pacific Time. By now, it seems well established that Steve will launch an Apple phone with Cingular (as was reported yesterday in both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal).

In fact, the biggest surprise at Macworld would be if Jobs didn't introduce an Apple phone. As some of you may remember, Apple's last foray into this realm produced the dreadful ROKR collaboration with Motorola, a device that was hamstrung by its un-iPodness. If the iPhone—or whatever it is going to be called—is anything like the rumor mill has it spec'd out to be, however, it should be a true Apple product, user friendly and slickly designed. And expect it to be multimedia friendly, too—with a bigger screen than the current iPod video and maybe a slider hidden beneath the famous jogdial.

Plus, it is also possible that Apple will unveil details on the iTV system, and who knows what else: Some new iPods? Updated iMacs? Perhaps a new device altogether?

Of course, it is all speculation until Jobs takes the stage. And that is what is so amazing about the cult of Apple. There are thousands of companies here at CES and really only one company that matters at Macworld, but because the iPod has been so successful and Apple has shown itself to be such a leader in electronics design over the past few years, the thousands must stop what they're doing here and take a listen. And we'll have our eyes and ears peeled for you to. Check in later today for all the news. —Glenn Derene